Southern Elephant Seal, Gold Harbour, South Georgia

The largest of all seal species, the southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) is found in chilly Antarctic and Subantarctic waters. The male seals dive as deep as 1,430 meters (over 4,600 feet) and stay at depth for up to two hours.

“The southern elephant seal is a truly restrained behemoth. Males can grow to be five times larger than females, up to 5,000 pounds. This elephant seal may look fierce, but he was simply yawning over and over in the wave-wash. This allowed me to try multiple ways of getting this impressive pose, including lying down in the water without disturbing him.” -- Nature's Best Photographer, Justin Hofman